UK/Irish Vet Schools c/o 2021/2022

[Vermonster802]

Is anyone from the US planning to go to the offer holder day? I'm not sure if it's really worth the 8 hour flight there and the major expense...

I wish, but the time and money spent to attend is better saved when it comes time for the real thing in September, at least in my opinion.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Whitby]

Just got accepted to RVC 4 year program!

I interviewed in LA on Nov 20!
Congrats to everyone else accepted! Maybe I'll see you in London

 

[gabyglow]

Got accepted to the 5-year program at RVC, waitlisted for the 4-year right after my interview with Glasgow haha! Called my mother - cried for a few minutes, and then composed myself and went back ahhahahah. I was still there when I got the email. And then 3 hours later I got accepted to Glasgow as well! Holy crap I am over the moon!

I feel like I might not have done as well in RVC's interview cause I was so nervous, and that's why I got waitlisted, but oh well. There's still hope.

Congrats to everyone else again, and good luck to anyone else waitlisted! Now for decisions...

 

[VetMed812]

Is anyone from the US planning to go to the offer holder day? I'm not sure if it's really worth the 8 hour flight there and the major expense...

I'm going. Expense is minor compared to the overall expense but I also get to visit family while there. I want to make sure it's a good fit as well as make sure I'm not caught off guard if I decide to go there.

 

[member141]

I got into the 4 year program this year. I'm originally from Massachusetts but I have actually been attending RVC for a masters program this year. If people have questions about moving to the UK or about RVC, feel free to PM me.

 

[CheeryMartini]

Have any fellow Americans brought a pet (specifically a dog) with them to UK? I have a 10 pound mutt that I was planning on bringing with me but I'm more than a little overwhelmed by the UK's 10 million rules and restrictions!

 

[member141]

Have any fellow Americans brought a pet (specifically a dog) with them to UK? I have a 10 pound mutt that I was planning on bringing with me but I'm more than a little overwhelmed by the UK's 10 million rules and restrictions!

I didn't bring my dogs with me to the UK but my friend (American) who is doing the masters program as well brought her 50 lb lab with her. I know she had to revaccinate for rabies but other than that I'm not sure of other rules. One thing I know is that it was more difficult to find housing that were pet friendly so maybe start looking early. but i would imagine it's a little easier with a 10 lb dog to find housing

 

[LabLuv004]

Have any fellow Americans brought a pet (specifically a dog) with them to UK? I have a 10 pound mutt that I was planning on bringing with me but I'm more than a little overwhelmed by the UK's 10 million rules and restrictions!

One person who comes to the clinic I work at takes her dog to Ireland with her for the summer every year. She starts the process in January. It's also kind of pricey so I'd go on their website and see what you'll need soon so you can get everything in order and avoid quarantine when you get there.

 

[calbears2015]

hey guys! does anyone know if edinburgh requires a full year of inorganic chem for the GEP track or just 1 semester? thanks!

 

[Staffie]

hey guys! does anyone know if edinburgh requires a full year of inorganic chem for the GEP track or just 1 semester? thanks!

Even if they do require a full year, it's worth arguing the toss and getting a letter from Berkeley to back you up. Berkeley's standard pre-med/pre-health chemistry sequence is Chem 1a, 3a, 3b, and MCB 102. They claim that all the medical schools accept this sequence to count as the year of gen chem and year of ochem. At least that's what they were claiming back when I went there.

I'm assuming you did that sequence? I (stupidly in hindsight) didn't do that sequence and instead did Chem 1a, 1b, 112a, 112b, and MCB 102, so I never had the problem of not technically completing a full year of gen chem that a lot of Cal students do.

Hopefully someone gets back to you with more info about Edinburgh! Good luck!

 

[shortnsweet]

Have any fellow Americans brought a pet (specifically a dog) with them to UK? I have a 10 pound mutt that I was planning on bringing with me but I'm more than a little overwhelmed by the UK's 10 million rules and restrictions!

As long as it isn't a breed on the dangerous dogs list (pit bull etc) and it has all of its shots and titers you should be fine. The UK is very dog friendly.

 

[Staffie]

Even if they do require a full year, it's worth arguing the toss and getting a letter from Berkeley to back you up. Berkeley's standard pre-med/pre-health chemistry sequence is Chem 1a, 3a, 3b, and MCB 102. They claim that all the medical schools accept this sequence to count as the year of gen chem and year of ochem. At least that's what they were claiming back when I went there.

I'm assuming you did that sequence? I (stupidly in hindsight) didn't do that sequence and instead did Chem 1a, 1b, 112a, 112b, and MCB 102, so I never had the problem of not technically completing a full year of gen chem that a lot of Cal students do.

Hopefully someone gets back to you with more info about Edinburgh! Good luck!

I found Cal's information explaining their chemistry sequence. I thought it might help: https://career.berkeley.edu/Medical/PrepChem

 

[ILDSU]

I found $440 roundtrip tickets (from San Francisco) for the April 12th offer holder day for the RVC. Not bad.


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile

 

[4ever95]

I received an offer for Edinburgh this morning! Dream come true

 

[CheeryMartini]

Accepted to Glasgow this morning! I had to do a Skype interview yesterday bc of the darn snowstorms in NY. But man, University of Glasgow has the fastest turnaround ever!

 

[CiCiBV]

Just got accepted to RVC 4 year program!

I interviewed in LA on Nov 20!
Congrats to everyone else accepted! Maybe I'll see you in London

I was there too! Which group were you in? I was in group 1. I feel bad for the people that were in group 4, they had to wait so long! Did you hear back from other unis? I got accepted to RVC and Edinburgh, I'm leaning towards Edinburgh.

Edit: grammar and spelling

 

[CiCiBV]

So I'm super on the fence between Edinburgh and RVC! Anyone super mindset on one of those unis? If so which one and why? I wish I'd found this thread before, might of been helpful when I was interviewing...

 

[london31]

Hi guys! Idk if this is the right place to post this, but I am having trouble deciding between RVC and Penn for vet school, and I was wondering if anyone on here had any insight regarding RVC (or even penn too lol) that could give me more info when making a choice. I really love both schools, and I am honestly so torn! Btw cost is about equal for both places, so unfortunately i can't even just choose the cheaper option...


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile

 

[CiCiBV]

I am having trouble deciding between RVC and Penn for vet school, and I was wondering if anyone on here had any insight regarding RVC (or even penn too lol) that could give me more info when making a choice.

Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile

So I am in a similar predicament as you, I'm trying to decide between RVC and Edinburgh. From my research, RVC is very good for small animal practice because they have the biggest small animal referral hospital in Europe, so if that's what you want to go into, that's the place to be. Also, have you looked at housing? London can get very expensive when in comes to accommodation and also price of living (food, transport etc.) might also be more expensive than Pennsylvania. But if money isn't your main concern, I'd say go the RVC just for the experience of living outside the US. It's very easy to travel in the U.K. and to Europe from London.

 

[Staffie]

Hi guys! Idk if this is the right place to post this, but I am having trouble deciding between RVC and Penn for vet school, and I was wondering if anyone on here had any insight regarding RVC (or even penn too lol) that could give me more info when making a choice. I really love both schools, and I am honestly so torn! Btw cost is about equal for both places, so unfortunately i can't even just choose the cheaper option...

Keep in mind that RVC requires AHEMS and then EMS during clinical years. Be sure to factor these into expenses. Travel to them alone can get pretty costly. Having a car is helpful for EMS in particular, but that's a huge expense in the UK. You'll need to get your UK driving licence, which means taking lessons and the written and practical tests. The UK driving test is one of the hardest in the world, with first time pass rates below 50%. I personally spent about £600 getting my UK licence, which included about 30 hours of driving lessons (I did mine in a manual transmission car). Insurance will be ridiculous as well as you'll be treated as a new driver. These are just some extra expenses that you may not have thought about.

The exam style at RVC is both great and horrible. In the first year of the 4 year program, we only had a small multiple choice test in December, another in March, and then massive exams that are 90% of your grade for the year in June. It's great that you don't have constant exams weighing you down and stressing you out like in the US schools. But preparing for end of the year exams that cover EVERYTHING you learned that year in detail is absolutely miserable. Personally, I'd prefer to be examined more often to force myself to learn the material better throughout the year. It definitely takes discipline and self-motivation to be on top of things. That being said, you only need to get 50% to pass, and 70+% is fantastic. It's an adjustment. I wouldn't necessarily let it be the deciding factor, but you need to know what you're getting yourself into.

Also, you won't really have summer breaks to go to work or find a research project or whatever, especially in the 4 year program. AHEMS and EMS will take up the majority of your time off, so you couldn't really go work somewhere for 10 weeks in the summer because you're too busy providing free labour to farmers (that's what a lot of AHEMS ends up feeling like). AHEMS can be fun and it is good experience, but I had a really good job to go back to last summer and was only able to work 4 weeks because the rest was spent doing AHEMS.

Basically, just keep in mind that there are probably a lot more expenses involved with living abroad than you've thought about, and know what you're getting yourself into with the UK vet school style.

 

[ILDSU]

Keep in mind that RVC requires AHEMS and then EMS during clinical years. Be sure to factor these into expenses. Travel to them alone can get pretty costly. Having a car is helpful for EMS in particular, but that's a huge expense in the UK. You'll need to get your UK driving licence, which means taking lessons and the written and practical tests. The UK driving test is one of the hardest in the world, with first time pass rates below 50%. I personally spent about £600 getting my UK licence, which included about 30 hours of driving lessons (I did mine in a manual transmission car). Insurance will be ridiculous as well as you'll be treated as a new driver. These are just some extra expenses that you may not have thought about.

The exam style at RVC is both great and horrible. In the first year of the 4 year program, we only had a small multiple choice test in December, another in March, and then massive exams that are 90% of your grade for the year in June. It's great that you don't have constant exams weighing you down and stressing you out like in the US schools. But preparing for end of the year exams that cover EVERYTHING you learned that year in detail is absolutely miserable. Personally, I'd prefer to be examined more often to force myself to learn the material better throughout the year. It definitely takes discipline and self-motivation to be on top of things. That being said, you only need to get 50% to pass, and 70+% is fantastic. It's an adjustment. I wouldn't necessarily let it be the deciding factor, but you need to know what you're getting yourself into.

Also, you won't really have summer breaks to go to work or find a research project or whatever, especially in the 4 year program. AHEMS and EMS will take up the majority of your time off, so you couldn't really go work somewhere for 10 weeks in the summer because you're too busy providing free labour to farmers (that's what a lot of AHEMS ends up feeling like). AHEMS can be fun and it is good experience, but I had a really good job to go back to last summer and was only able to work 4 weeks because the rest was spent doing AHEMS.

Basically, just keep in mind that there are probably a lot more expenses involved with living abroad than you've thought about, and know what you're getting yourself into with the UK vet school style.

Thank you for your insight! This is really helpful. I'm trying to decide between Ohio State and RVC (and Glasgow, but at this point, I'm pretty much ruling that option out since it's 5 years as opposed to 4).

So you don't really have any "breaks" other than at Christmas time because it's all used for EMS? Also, when they say you need 38 weeks of AHEMS/EMS, do they actually mean 38 weeks, or just a certain number of hours?

Also, how much would you say you're spending per year on car insurance in the UK?

 

[Staffie]

Thank you for your insight! This is really helpful. I'm trying to decide between Ohio State and RVC (and Glasgow, but at this point, I'm pretty much ruling that option out since it's 5 years as opposed to 4).

So you don't really have any "breaks" other than at Christmas time because it's all used for EMS? Also, when they say you need 38 weeks of AHEMS/EMS, do they actually mean 38 weeks, or just a certain number of hours?

Also, how much would you say you're spending per year on car insurance in the UK?

You can have breaks, but you have to book your AHEMS/EMS during that time. You can do some over Christmas breaks as well, but most people choose not to.

It's 12 weeks of AHEMS, then 26 weeks of EMS (10-12 of which you do before you start rotations). If you're great at scheduling, can find placements during the weeks you want, don't have to resit exams, and do as many weeks of AHEMS before the start of school as you can (if you're going into the 4 year program), you can have some time off. I just find it stressful because it can be difficult to get a solid block of time off. I did 4 weeks of AHEMS before I started school, then 4 weeks over Easter break (I had two weeks off), then after exams finished I did 4 straight weeks of AHEMS, 4 weeks of full time work at my job, then took a two week holiday, and then was back in school. If I had had difficulty finding AHEMS placements for the weeks I wanted it would have made it difficult to work at my job.

Also, AHEMS placements are meant to be full-time 6 day weeks. But for farm placements it's common for it to include the entire weekend in the middle of the two week placement, so you're working all day for 12 days straight. It's up to you to work out with your placement exactly what your work hours and days will be.

For my second year of the 4 year program, I'm doing 3 weeks of EMS during Easter break, then studying for 2 weeks and taking the only exams we have for the year right when we get back. We get out of class on 7th July and I'm going straight to EMS for 7 - 9 weeks. I'll have either 1 week or 3 weeks of break all summer before classes start again in September. I could have chosen to do more EMS over Easter break, but I want time to study. Or I could have chosen to do some EMS over Christmas break next year, but I'd rather have Christmas off. We have to have 10-12 weeks completed by January next year. Doing 3 over Easter and 7-9 over the summer was what works best for me. But it means there's no way I can have an actual paying job this summer.

Once rotations start they're year round with time for EMS and breaks built into the schedule. Rotations start halfway through BVetMed4 (year 4 of the 5 year course/year 3 of the 4 year course).

I'm not sure exactly how much car insurance would be, but I'd budget at least £1000/year. Look for UK car insurance comparison websites and see what comes up. I have a UK husband and he's on the insurance with me, so my insurance wouldn't be a fair comparison.

 

[calbears2015]

Even if they do require a full year, it's worth arguing the toss and getting a letter from Berkeley to back you up. Berkeley's standard pre-med/pre-health chemistry sequence is Chem 1a, 3a, 3b, and MCB 102. They claim that all the medical schools accept this sequence to count as the year of gen chem and year of ochem. At least that's what they were claiming back when I went there.

I'm assuming you did that sequence? I (stupidly in hindsight) didn't do that sequence and instead did Chem 1a, 1b, 112a, 112b, and MCB 102, so I never had the problem of not technically completing a full year of gen chem that a lot of Cal students do.

Hopefully someone gets back to you with more info about Edinburgh! Good luck!

Thank you Staffie for the advice I appreciate it! I contacted Edinburgh and they said I don't need 2nd sem. of g chem, but yeah I did that sequence EXCEPT for mcb 102 which I took at my local 4-year university post graduation which was also so dumb b/c then when I contacted berkeley they said they couldn't back me up if a school required it b/c I didn't take 102 at Cal which was really annoying. thank god Edinburgh won't require me to take gen chem 2 tho hahah yayyyy!!!!

 

[calbears2015]

So I'm super on the fence between Edinburgh and RVC! Anyone super mindset on one of those unis? If so which one and why? I wish I'd found this thread before, might of been helpful when I was interviewing...

hey!! I also was admitted to Edinburgh and RVC- I visited both unis last summer actually and took a tour and everything. Even though RVC is ranked higher internationally, I thought Edinburgh was a more impressive school in terms of facilities and the presentations at the interviews. also, I just loved Scotland a thousand times more haha. on a personal level, I found that I clicked with the alums and faculty from the Scottish schools a lot more than RVC, and the general atmosphere surrounding Edinburgh felt very comfortable to me. Granted I'm from Seattle, WA so it kinda felt similar culturally and weather wise. I know some people choose London b/c it's easier to travel through Europe though! On another note, I was also really impressed by the access to exotics at Edinburgh as they have the Edinburgh Zoo which they work closely with and since most of my experience is in wildlife that really appeals to me. in the end though it's all a personal decision!! best of luck to you and congrats!!!

 

[Matchagirl]

Hello everyone! I just joined this site! I know this isn't totally about just UK vet schools, but I'm very torn between attending Glasgow and UC Davis. Does anyone have any advice?

 

[calbears2015]

Hello everyone! I just joined this site! I know this isn't totally about just UK vet schools, but I'm very torn between attending Glasgow and UC Davis. Does anyone have any advice?

first of all- congrats those are amazing choices!!! also, you're probably aware that glasgow is a 5 year program (vs. Davis is a 4 year), but if that isn't a problem, I personally think it would be amazing to go live abroad in Scotland for 5 years. However, Davis is ranked #1 in the world and has a great reputation, so there's that! I would say that if you are a CA resident and get in state tuition, I'd probably go to Davis. however, I'm pretty sure Davis does tracking early on and I know Glasgow doesn't, so if you're not 100% sure what you want to specialize in yet, that could be tricky. Also, coming from a person who went through the UC system, be prepared to handle a very competitive atmosphere at Davis. The vet school may be different from undergrad experiences, but I for one did not want to go through another UC during vet school as it would add more stress of intense competition on top of the normal stresses of just being in vet school. I thought the glasgow reps were super friendly and the students I've been talking with seem to have a great work life balance which is really really appealing to me. good luck!!!

 

[ILDSU]

Any other international (US or non-UK/EU) students really nervous about the process of getting to the UK?


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile

 

[CAtoATX]

Does anyone have any good sites/blogs for what life is like at UCD (Dublin)?

 

[Vermonster802]

Any other international (US or non-UK/EU) students really nervous about the process of getting to the UK?


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile

Yeah of course, I think it's only natural to be nervous when moving somewhere new, especially an entirely new country. However, I take comfort in knowing that many others have done it before us so it shouldn't be that bad. Right now I think I am more excited than nervous, I'm ready to start now so I can quit my grunt-work job and move on to the next chapter in my life. Not sure if you saw the email RVC sent today about the Q&A Webinar on Friday, looks like a good opportunity to ask some questions.
Also, the head of admissions will be in my city next month, so I plan to meet with her and get as much information as possible. I'll be sure to share that here if I learn anything useful/important.

 

[roseo88]

Hello everyone! I just joined this site! I know this isn't totally about just UK vet schools, but I'm very torn between attending Glasgow and UC Davis. Does anyone have any advice?

Obviously, this is just my opinion, but if I could go back in time, I would definitely choose to go to school in the US. I don't go to Glasgow, I go to RDSVS for their 4 year program, so my experience is definitely different that yours might be. But, the stress of the intense class schedule combined with the entirely new living situation and culture really is a bit overwhelming for the first 6 months. I've passed all the exams so far, but I would definitely be in a better spot mentally if I had stayed in the US. Plus, UC Davis is an excellent school.

 

[calbears2015]

Obviously, this is just my opinion, but if I could go back in time, I would definitely choose to go to school in the US. I don't go to Glasgow, I go to RDSVS for their 4 year program, so my experience is definitely different that yours might be. But, the stress of the intense class schedule combined with the entirely new living situation and culture really is a bit overwhelming for the first 6 months. I've passed all the exams so far, but I would definitely be in a better spot mentally if I had stayed in the US. Plus, UC Davis is an excellent school.

Do you feel like the 4 year program at edi is too fast? I don't have a US option right now but debating between RDSVS 4 year and glasgow's 5 year. In retrospect, would you have picked the 5 year program instead?

 

[wolf2316]

Do you feel like the 4 year program at edi is too fast? I don't have a US option right now but debating between RDSVS 4 year and glasgow's 5 year. In retrospect, would you have picked the 5 year program instead?

I vote Glasgow... but I may be a little bit bias since I will be attending there in September haha. Honestly, at first I had a big issue on the 4 versus 5 year thing since I was accepted to RVC and Glasgow. But I just weighed the pros and cons about each school to me. In the end, I choose Glasgow even though its a 5 year program because its more along the lines of what I would be happy with (culture, location, expense etc) and fits with what I am aiming to achieve in my career as a veterinarian.. My mom always told me "There is no such thing as graduating on time, you will achieve what you want to no matter what, even if it may take longer". By the time I graduate vet school, I will be 27, which is not thrilling to think about for me because I am sure everyone wants to already start working and earn money and help patients and clients. I just trust everything happens for a reason and will work out in the end. I know its a hard choice but you will figure this out! ^_^

 

[VetMed812]

Anyone going to RVC wondering how they'll afford the rent in London?! Haha What are people doing or considering with this

 

[ILDSU]

Anyone going to RVC wondering how they'll afford the rent in London?! Haha What are people doing or considering with this

I'm not sure what your options are, but for me as a student from the US I'm planning on using federal loans.
I actually heard the rent isn't too bad in London, for having your own room and bathroom through student housing it's probably less expensive than finding that option where I live currently (Northern California, suburbs). I also heard it gets less expensive as you move out to Hawkshead.


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile

 

[VetMed812]

I'm not sure what your options are, but for me as a student from the US I'm planning on using federal loans.
I actually heard the rent isn't too bad in London, for having your own room and bathroom through student housing it's probably less expensive than finding that option where I live currently (Northern California, suburbs). I also heard it gets less expensive as you move out to Hawkshead.


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile

I'm not able to live in a dorm based on the fact I have an animal that would be homeless without me. So I'm taking her with me. Rents basically start at 1300 (pounds) and go up in central London. Has anyone lived in the Hatsfield area and commuted in for the time in Camden? Is a car needed in that area?

 

[Vermonster802]

I'm not sure what your options are, but for me as a student from the US I'm planning on using federal loans.
I actually heard the rent isn't too bad in London, for having your own room and bathroom through student housing it's probably less expensive than finding that option where I live currently (Northern California, suburbs). I also heard it gets less expensive as you move out to Hawkshead.


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile

Yeah, compared to where I live now in Portland, OR, rent in London is actually about the same and in some cases cheaper from what I've seen so far. Plus, a lot of places are fully furnished and include all utilities in the price of rent so that's a huge plus, especially moving to a new country with little to no possessions.

 

[Tonkamoo]

I'm not able to live in a dorm based on the fact I have an animal that would be homeless without me. So I'm taking her with me. Rents basically start at 1300 (pounds) and go up in central London. Has anyone lived in the Hatsfield area and commuted in for the time in Camden? Is a car needed in that area?

I lived in Potters bar all of my four years. I was able to walk to the train station, then the commute in the first year was not that bad - its just a 15 minute fast train ride to kings cross, then a 10-15 minute walk up to the Camden campus. Just don't forget to account for your monthly train ticket when you compare rents (as trains are not that cheap). I preferred living in Potters bar as we had a dog as well, and I liked having more space and not having to move at all. The main downside was that it is harder to be social (especially with a dog), as the first year everyone went out after lectures, but I would need to catch the train home to walk my dog.

A car is not needed if you live walking distance from Potters bar train station. It is helpful during your last year for rotations, when you need to go to campus at weird hours and go on EMS.

Some of my classmates also lived near the ends of the tube line (High Barnet or Cockfosters) - however if you lived there you would likely need a car to get to the hawkshead campus.

 

[Staffie]

I'm not able to live in a dorm based on the fact I have an animal that would be homeless without me. So I'm taking her with me. Rents basically start at 1300 (pounds) and go up in central London. Has anyone lived in the Hatsfield area and commuted in for the time in Camden? Is a car needed in that area?

Like Tonkamoo said, it is definitely possible to live in Hertfordshire all 4 years. Having a car would be helpful, but the free RVC shuttle can get you around Potters Bar ok, including to the train station. If you want to live with other students, it would be a good idea to keep an eye on the New Faces at RVC facebook page that is linked further up in this thread.

 

[sarahbear]

Hey everyone. I am trying to decide between a school here in the US (University of Illinois) and UCD. I'm struggling because UCD is something I am so excited about, but I think program wise and maybe personally also Illinois is the safe bet. Anyone have made any similar decisions? What are some things to consider (besides cost) that I might not be thinking of?

 

[ILDSU]

Hey everyone. I am trying to decide between a school here in the US (University of Illinois) and UCD. I'm struggling because UCD is something I am so excited about, but I think program wise and maybe personally also Illinois is the safe bet. Anyone have made any similar decisions? What are some things to consider (besides cost) that I might not be thinking of?

Hi sarahbear,

I had to make a decision between RVC and Ohio State. When making my decision, I compared the curriculum, the cost (which isn't really comparable between the two), and proximity to home. Proximity didn't end up making a big difference for me since either way, it's going to be far from home, and even though it's more feasible to travel in the US, I'd go home about just as much, and possibly even more if the funds allow since I can do some clinical rotations close to home if I go to the RVC.
In terms of curriculum, nothing really popped out at me for Ohio, but plenty of things stood out for RVC (in a good way). That's not to say I didn't like Ohio's program, because I really loved it, but RVC's curriculum is what fits me better, and what I believe will help me to shape my future career. I've also always wanted to do a degree abroad, so this was the perfect opportunity for me.
I also compared what the student community/academic culture would be like between the schools, and I really liked what students had the say about it at both schools, so that didn't end up being a factor for comparison.
I tried not to let the path to get to vet school from here on out affect my decision, because that's only in the short term. The path to get to RVC is a lot harder for me, but I know there are people that have done it before so I take comfort in knowing that.
When I made my decision to attend RVC, I realized I knew it was what I wanted to whole time, but I was nervous about it so I was hesitant. Ohio State was the "safe" or "fall back" option for me.
Now I just need to make sure I have the means to satisfy all my conditions before I say yes to the RVC!


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile

 

[roseo88]

Do you feel like the 4 year program at edi is too fast? I don't have a US option right now but debating between RDSVS 4 year and glasgow's 5 year. In retrospect, would you have picked the 5 year program instead?

The 4 year vs the 5 year program at Edinburgh is insanely fast. Unlike UCD or schools in the US (comparatively speaking), the 4 year program is not its own separate program. At Edinburgh, you are taught all of the information that the 5 year program learns in years 1 and 2 in the span of 1 year. Whilst on paper that might seem fine, it is seriously no joke. The information that they give you was originally formatted to be taught in 2 years and they simply take the same amount of information with more or less the same detail, and jam it into one year. You will not learn or remember everything they've given you-which is obviously a huge problem long term.

I would not have chosen the 5 year program simply because I am rather old (and a year to me makes a difference) and due to overall costs. But, I might have chosen the 4 year program at UCD or a US school where the programs are designed to be 4 years-rather than choosing Edinburgh where the program is designed for 5 years and is crammed into 4.

 

[LabLuv004]

In case anyone is like me and missed the RVC Q+A last week, I emailed to check in on the video link because the original one only worked for the live stream. They said there was an issue with the recording but they are almost done with it and it sounds like it will be emailed next week.

 

[Briboy]

Is anyone considering St. George's? I was accepted to the 5 year program at RVC. I am torn between the both (I am from the United States). I am aware that RVC is a great school, especially compared to St. George's. I visited London and I did not like the camden campus. It seemed as though there was not many fun things to do in the surrounding area in the city. It is also 5 years which would come out to be way more expensive than St. George's. I loved the curriculum setup at RVC and know I would get a great education there. However, I am an outdoors person and love to be out in the sun and the water, which is the main reason St. George's appeals to me. My brother and good friend will also be attending SGU. I visited London last week but was not able to attend Hawkshead. I know nothing about where people live and how the commuting to school works except what I have read on this thread. Any suggestions would be appreciated as to key points I have missed and opinions of people who may be considering either place. If anyone attends either school and could contact me that would be helpful as well.

 

[Figokoko]

When might an international student move into student housing near the Camden campus of RVC, and how does the student housing situation work?

 

[Vermonster802]

I will be meeting with RVC's Head of Admissions tomorrow, if anyone has any questions about the international student's journey overseas or just general questions about the program you'd like me to ask, I'd be happy to do that and report answers back here.

 

[ILDSU]

I will be meeting with RVC's Head of Admissions tomorrow, if anyone has any questions about the international student's journey overseas or just general questions about the program you'd like me to ask, I'd be happy to do that and report answers back here.

I can't think of any specific questions at the moment, but thank you for asking!
If you learn anything useful, which I'm sure you will, I'm sure we'd all appreciate it if you would please share! Thank you!


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile

 

[mary.swiger]

For anyone that applied to UCD- how long did it take for them to get back to you on a decision regarding your application? I applied outside of the VMCAS deadline, so know that mine is going to take a little bit longer- but am so impatient lol. I am basically waiting on them to get back to me before I decline my admission to Ross.

 

[oreo11]

I applied to UCD outside of VMCAS too. I applied in October and heard that I got an interview in December. My interview was late January and I got accepted 1.5 weeks later. That being said, I'm not sure whether this next round of applications will move more quickly. I feel like it might, since the semester is only 5 months away! Good luck!

 

[mary.swiger]

Awesome! Thank you for letting me know. I applied late in the game to UCD and have been waiting for about two months now for a decision or an interview notification so I hope they get to me soon. Just trying to make a decision before the April 15th deadline.

 

[Whitby]

I was there too! Which group were you in? I was in group 1. I feel bad for the people that were in group 4, they had to wait so long! Did you hear back from other unis? I got accepted to RVC and Edinburgh, I'm leaning towards Edinburgh.

Edit: grammar and spelling

Sorry I just saw this! I think I was in group 4 actually- I was literally the last person there it took so long haha
Did you make your decision between RVC and Edinburgh yet?